Microsoft to hold 10% of tablet market by 2015, firm says

Now that Microsoft has given us a much more detailed look at Windows 8 and its plans for tablets, the analyses are starting to come in. Gartner Research, for one, predicts Microsoft will capture 10 percent of the tablet market by the end of 2015.

By that time, Apple’s iPad will command the market with a 46 percent share, and tablets running Google Android will reach 36 percent, according to Gartner data. Research in Motion’s QNX operating system will power 8 percent of tablets, Gartner said.

The research firm wasn’t all that optimistic about Microsoft’s chances in the consumer tablet space.

“The current buzz around Windows 8 driven by the demonstrations seen at the Build conference might be short-lived if Microsoft’s push to use the new OS across devices comes at a compromise in usability,” Gartner said in a news release. “Moreover, the late arrival might limit its appeal, especially to consumers, as Apple and Android will be more entrenched by then. Microsoft’s platform will find its biggest opportunities in the enterprise segment, where IT departments could benefit from smoother integration with existing Microsoft software.”

The tablet market itself is expected to grow five-fold in that time, from 63.6 million sales in 2011 to 326.3 million by the end of 2015, Gartner said.

With Windows 8, not expected to widely launch until late next year, is Microsoft a day late and a dollar short?